The campus was still, thousands of candidates standing on its stone floor, silent and expectant.
A mixture of emotions rippled across each student's face.
This was it, the final test.
The one that would determine their class, their instructors...maybe even their entire future.
Kael stood among them, arms crossed, eyes heavy-lidded as usual.
But for once, he wasn't entirely disengaged.
The sky shimmered as usual.
A glowing golden glyph unfurled high above, casting long rays of structured light down across the arena.
From its center descended a now familiar figure, Vice Headmaster Revek.
His robes whispered in ethereal silence as his projection touched the ground, his voice ringing out, resonating directly in the minds of every student.
"Candidates of the 179th Generation. Welcome to your final test."
No one moved. No one dared to speak.
"This exam will be unlike the others. It does not test brute strength alone, nor intelligence, nor raw talent. It will test everything. Your will, your adaptability, your instincts, your synergy, and most importantly, your team coordination."
Revek began to pace slowly, his voice a cold and steady rhythm. "You will be assigned into teams of six. The selection will be random."
Kael shifted slightly. 'Random, huh?' A familiar skepticism prickled.
"You will be sent into a space known as the Mirror Vault," Revek continued, his voice echoing. "It is a sealed dimension constructed by the academy. In it, the environment will be unpredictable, shifting to challenge you in ways tailored to your team's weaknesses."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd, quickly silenced by Revek's unwavering presence.
"Your objective: obtain the Vault Totem, hidden behind three locked doors. Each door is guarded by a construct. Defeat the guardian, the door opens. Survive all three, and the totem is yours."
Kael's brows furrowed slightly. 'So it's like a dungeon run. With strangers. Great.'
Revek stopped, his hands clasped behind his back. "Each member of your team must survive to the final chamber to pass. Failure to cooperate, protect one another, or complete the objective will result in your immediate disqualification."
Then, a pause. His eyes seemed to scan the crowd, though they were just light.
"…And remember. The Mirror Vault does not differentiate between prodigies and fools. It only reflects what is true."
With that, the sky split open once more. Thousands of glowing orbs exploded into existence, shimmering with numbers across their surfaces.
Each one floated, pulsing gently, then began to drift downward toward the crowd.
Kael watched as students instinctively reached out, catching theirs as they descended.
A nearby student caught one that shimmered with the number [203].
Another held one glowing [157].
Kael extended his hand lazily and caught the orb that hovered down toward him.
[417]
"Great," he muttered. "My lucky number."
Then he heard footsteps beside him.
He turned, just in time to see Theo catch his own orb.
It glowed the same.
[417]
Theo blinked, then looked at Kael. "…That's odd."
Kael stared at the orb in his hand, then at Theo's. "…Yeah, it's definitely because of my luck?"
Theo's brow furrowed, just slightly, a hint of confusion in his usually calm demeanor. "Right."
They both looked up.
Across the arena, teams were already starting to gather by their numbers, forming tight, anxious circles.
Kael sighed. "Well. Looks like we're in this together."
Theo smirked faintly. "Try to actually stay awake throughout the exam."
"No promises," Kael replied, a lazy grin touching his lips.
A low hum echoed across the arena floor as a massive dimensional gate began to materialize in front of the candidates.
It shimmered with layered glyphs and swirling energy, its edges etched in golden runes that pulsed like a slow, deliberate heartbeat.
An instructor stepped forward, his voice amplified by a subtle enchantment. "Step into the gate. You will be transported to your designated trial zone. Team members will be grouped according to their orb numbers."
That was all.
Kael glanced at Theo. "Well, here we go," he muttered.
Theo gave a single nod and stepped forward. Kael followed right behind him.
The moment he crossed the threshold, he felt... weightlessness.
Kael blinked.
He wasn't falling. He wasn't standing on solid ground either. He was standing on air.
A flat, invisible surface suspended high above a sprawling, ancient forest, clouds curling at his feet like mist rising from a dream. The sky above them was a serene pale gold.
The world stretched out beneath them, an endless expanse of treetops and deep shadows far below.
The view was unreal, almost breathtakingly serene.
And then he noticed he wasn't alone.
Four others had appeared beside him, all just as disoriented.
The first was a frail-looking girl in a simple blue uniform, her shoulders hunched and arms wrapped tightly around herself. She had pale skin and short, honey-brown hair that curled softly around her face.
Her eyes darted nervously from person to person, but mostly down toward the invisible floor.
Next to her stood a tall boy with neatly combed blue hair and sharp, aristocratic features. His blue mage uniform looked freshly pressed, and the way he stood...calm, upright, hands clasped behind his back, oozed quiet confidence.
His eyes flicked toward Kael once, calculating… then moved on quickly.
Then there was her, the one who stood just slightly apart from the others, a silent sentinel.
She wore a black knight's uniform, shoulders squared, arms crossed.
Her entire presence was like a sharpened blade, controlled, focused, dangerous.
Her skin was smooth and bronze-toned, her hair cut short and raven black. What stood out most, though, was the silver-edged eyepatch covering her right eye, it was sleek, clearly enchanted.
Her one visible eye was a piercing violet that scanned the alien environment with cool, unwavering precision.
The final person was a boy also in black, with a pleasantly unreadable expression. His eyes held a mischievous glint, but his posture was relaxed... almost too relaxed.
He caught Kael looking at him and offered a casual wave and a soft, easy smile.
And then there was Theo, standing to Kael's right, his glasses glinting slightly as he surveyed the newly formed group.
Kael and Theo exchanged a glance.
'Of course,' Kael thought, a familiar wave of cynical amusement washing over him. 'Team 417 just had to be a walking mixtape of red flags.'